Sorting machine



April 22, 1969 A. SCHWARZKOPF SORTING MACHINE Sheet of 2 Filed May 18, 1967 FIGA INVENTOR'.

WM k y m W W/ fitter-hays April 1969 A. SCHWARZKOPF 3,439,848

SORTING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 INVENTOR: Hugusf Schwarzkofi BY M & 16

fitton-neys United States Patent 3,439,848 SOR'IING MACHINE August Schwarzkopf, Lengerich, Westphalia, Germany, assignor to Windmiiller & Holscher, Lengerich, Germany Filed May 18, 1967, Ser. No. 639,505 Claims priority, application Germany, May 26, 1966, W 41,671 Int. Cl. B26f 3/00, 3/02; B65h 35/00 US. Cl. 225-96 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates generally to apparatus for stamping or punching out portions of a web and, in particular, to such apparatus provided with means for separating the stampings from the web. The invention finds particular application in the processing of plastics foils in the production of bags or the like. When cold or hot stamping apertures in a web of material such as plastics foil, for instance, to produce grip-holes in a finished bag, or in the forming of non-continuous edge contours, a particular disadvantage is that the stamped-out or punchedout part is incompletely severed from the web material. Alternatively, the punched-out part may be completely severed but carried along by the moving web, with the result that the operation of the apparatus during further processing events may be impaired.

Summary It is a general object of the invention so to remove the punched-out portions of the web from the punching station that they cannot be soiled nor carried along any further by the machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus, wherein a stamping-removing tool is adapted to penetrate a stamping during the stamping or punching stroke of a punching tool and such stamping-removing tool returns by way of a clearer on the return stroke of the punching tool, so that the stamping goes is transferred to a collecting receptacle.

Conveniently, the stamping-removing tool comprises a needle provided with a barbed hook, or the like.

The stamping or punching carriage may be operatively coupled with a carrier bearing the workpiece-removing tool, either by linkages or electromechanically.

Preferably, the stamping carriage has a holder-up facility which co-operates with the stamping-removing tool.

Thus the invention provides apparatus in which the punchings or stampings are reliably removed from the web, thus ensuring that the remainder of the processing may take place without impediment.

A great advantage of the apparatus according to the invention is that a plastics-foil processing machine which also performs stamping operations can run much faster than has previously been possible.

3,439,848 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 "ice Description with reference to drawings Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment given with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIGURES 1-3 show in plan view various samples of plastics foils from which the hatched portions are to be punched out;

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic sectioned view of an apparatus embodying the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIGURE 4 with some parts broken away.

FIGURES 1-3 show plastics foils in the course of processing into various articles. FIGURE 1 shows a foil forming bags 1 having parts 4 indicated by cross-hatching which are to be punched out, FIGURE 2 shows a foil in process of being formed into bags 2 having elongated portions 5 which are to be punched out, and FIGURE 3 shows a foil which is to be formed into bags 3 from which portions 6 shown hatched are to be punched or stamped out.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatical sectional view of an exemplary apparatus according to the invention. The apparatus comprises a stamping or punching carriage 10 mounted in a main frame 7 for vertical movement in the direction indicated by arrows 15. A punching tool 11, which can be provided with heating means 12, is disposed on the carriage 10. The tool 10 has a holder-up facility as shown, for instance, in the form of a sleeve-like dolly 13 formed at its bottom end with a bore 14 into which a stamping-removing tool 20 can penetrate.

A foil web 9 runs over a support pad 8 secured to the machine main frame 7. When the carriage 10 descends in the direction indicated by the arrows 15, that portion 32 of the plastic web which is between the arrows 31 is punched out. Further, as the carriage 10 moves in this direction, a lever 17 pivotally mounted at location 16 is moved downwards by means of an actuating rod 27 and abutments 24 on rod 27 which engage one end of lever 17. A guide bar 19 at whose top end the stamping-removing tool 20 and the barbed hook 34 are disposed is articulated to the other end of lever 17 as at 18. Tool 20 is therefore adapted to reciprocate in the direction indicated by arrows 25 when the carriage 10 reciprocates in the direction indicated by the arrows 15. The tool 20 passes through a bore 22 in a clearer 21 and, as indicated by the chain-line position 26, penetrates the part 32 and, once the hooks 34 have passed therethrough, moves the part 32 downwards until it is cleared by the clearer 21, the part 32 then moving in the direction indicated by an arrow 23 into a collecting receptacle 33.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIGURE 4, and, as will be apparent, the support pad 8 is formed with an elongated hole into which the similarly shaped tool 11 moves during the stamping operation. The receptacle 33 is not shown in FIGURE 5.

Iclai'm:

1. Apparatus for stamping out portions of a web including:

a machine frame;

web-supporting means mounted in said machine frame;

and

a punching tool mounted for reciprocable movement in said frame towards and away from said web-supporting means;

wherein the improvement comprises:

a stamping-removing tool movably mounted in said machine frame for removing stampings stamped out by said punching tool;

a clearer between said stamping-removing tool and said web-supporting means adapted to detach a stamping from said stamping-removing tool; and means operatively connected to said stamping-removing tool to cause it to move towards and penetrate a stamping during the stamping stroke of said punching tool and to cause return of said stamping-removing tool past said clearer during the return stroke of said punching tool. 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which: said stamping-removing tool comprises a needle provided with a barbed hook; and said clearer comprises an inclined plate defining an aperture in the path of movement of said stampingremoving tool. 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a stamping carriage carrying said punching tool and reciprocably mounted in said frame; a carrier mounting said stamping-removing tool for movement in said frame; and means coupling said stamping carriage with said carrier. 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which said means coupling said stamping carriage with said carrier are mechanical.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which said carrier for said stamping-removing tool is pivotally mounted in said frame intermediate its ends;

said apparatus further comprising:

a mechanical link extending from said carriage; and pin means on said link engaging one end of said carrier.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising holder-up means associated with said stamping tool and disposed to co-operate with said stamping-removing tool.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which said holder-up means comprises a sleeve-like dolly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 247,465 9/1881 Long 83-126 X 1,669,164 5/1928 Holman 83-126 X JAMES M. MEISTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 83-123, 165

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENI' OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20231 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,439,848 April 22, 1969 August Schwarzkopf It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, line 4,

"Holscher" should read Holscher Signed and sealed this 3rd day of March 1970 (SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents v 

